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Proudest pocked pitchman:
Seal
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When one thinks of supermodels, the face of Heidi Klum seems an appropriate example. Symmetric, with large eyes and lips, free of blemishes and deformity, Klum’s features conform to standard criteria for beauty. Advertisers have long used our tendency to gaze at attractive faces to promote products. -
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It is therefore striking to see billboards with the face of British singer Seal, posing with a wrinkly puppy, in ads for a clothing line. Unlike scarred stars like Brad Pitt and Tina Fey, Seal makes no effort to hide his striking cheek scars. This is especially surprising in the world of computers, where even the most flagrant flaw can be concealed with the wave of a wand (or at least the movement of a mouse).
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Seal stops by the Quik E Mart for some beef jerky, accompanied by his wife, model Heidi Klum.
While there have long been rumors as to the cause of these cheek craters, they are not the result of a tribal scarification rite. In fact, in the same way that Klum, Seal’s wife and mother of their two children, is the textbook image of beauty, Seal’s appearance is the classic example of a relatively rare condition, discoid lupus erythematosis (DLE). Seal has revealed in interviews that he was afflicted with this syndrome as a teen. A condition where the immune cells attack various body tissues, DLE usually affects young people. Intense inflammation develops in the skin, particularly in sun-exposed areas. If not treated aggressively with sun protection and anti-inflammatory medicines, Seal-style scarring can result. Not only did it cause the cheek scars, but he had significant scalp involvement, causing hair loss. The singer's condition has been in remission for years.
- Runner-up, Proudest pocked pitchman:
- Nobody!
Kudos to the prominently pocked pop star for not letting his skin issues deter from love, success, family, and contributing to the global economy.
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